How to Write Indian Classical Lyrics

You want lyrics that sit inside a raga and breathe with the taal. You want words that let the singer ornament without collapsing meaning. You want lines that feel inevitable the moment the tanpura drone starts. This guide gives you everything from choosing a raga to placing the sam with surgical precision. If you are a songwriter, an aspiring khayal or thumri singer, or a millennial who thinks raag is a yoga pose for your vocals you are in the right place.

Everything here is written for modern artists who want real results. Expect practical workflows, quick exercises, and real life examples you can sing into your phone right now. We will cover the anatomy of a bandish, raga and taal choice, prosody for Indian classical music, ornamentation and lyric interaction, writing for khayal versus thumri and semi classical forms, recording tips, and an action plan you can use today.

Why Lyrics Matter in Indian Classical Music

Indian classical music is primarily melodic and modal. The framework of raga gives the melody its identity. The taal gives the time grid. Lyrics are the emotional cement that links melody to human speech. A great lyric does three things at once. It fits the contour of the raga. It respects the mathematical grid of the taal. It says something that a listener remembers. If your lyrics fail any of those three factors the performance will feel like a beautiful exercise and not a living conversation.

Think of it like this. You are at a chai stall and someone starts singing. If the words are tangible the vendors, the rickshaw drivers, and the person who only came for a biscuit will all feel a connection. If the words are abstract or misaligned with the tala beats the song will still be technically impressive but less likely to get people to hum the line on the walk home.

Essential Terms and What They Mean

If you ever feel lost in a university lecture about classical music here is a cheat sheet with plain language and real life examples.

• Raga. A melodic framework that defines a set of notes, typical phrases, and emotional color. Example: Yaman at dusk, Bhairavi at dawn. Think of raga as a mood filter for melodies.
• Taal. The rhythmic cycle. Common examples are Teentaal which has 16 beats, Dadra which has 6 beats, and Keharwa which has 8 beats. Taal is like the meter of a poem combined with drum patterns you can feel in your chest.
• Matra. A single beat inside the taal. If Teentaal has 16 matras think of each matra as a tick in a clock.
• Sam. The first beat of the taal cycle. It is where musical sentences often resolve. If you miss the sam your line will feel like a drunk text sent at 4 a.m.
• Theka. The basic drum pattern played by the tabla. It labels the matras and helps you aim your lyrics.
• Bandish. A composed song in a raga. The bandish is the template that performers elaborate. It usually has a sthayi and an antara and sometimes sanchari and abhog in older forms.
• Sthayi. The first section of a bandish. Think chorus in pop but more structural. It often sets the tonal center and the lyrical hook.
• Antara. The second section of a bandish that moves to higher notes or new phrases. It often answers or expands the sthayi.
• Bol. The syllables or words you sing. In percussion bol are drum syllables. For lyrics bol means the actual text you set to melody.
• Sargam. Singing note names like sa re ga. Use sargam when sketching melodic movement before you write words.
• Layakari. Rhythmic play. Playing with subdivisions or syncopation inside the taal. A lyrically strong bandish allows space for layakari.
• Tihai. A rhythmic cadence repeated three times to resolve on the sam. You will want lyrics that can fold into a tihai cleanly.

The Anatomy of a Bandish and Why It Matters to a Lyricist

A traditional bandish is not a random string of couplets. It is architecture. Most bandishes used in khayal and dhrupad have a fixed structure that musicians use as a launchpad for improvisation. Knowing the parts helps you place narrative and ornamentation.

Sthayi the anchor

Sthayi sits mostly in the lower and middle register of the raga. It often contains the main textual hook. This is where you place your most memorable line because singers will return here with variations. The words in the sthayi should be compact and singable with long vowels at points where the melody sustains.

Antara the response

Antara usually moves to higher notes and a slightly different melodic area. The text can be more descriptive. Use it to add a twist or to reveal the cause behind the feeling introduced in the sthayi. If the sthayi is the headline the antara is the sub headline.

Cadences and phrases

Bandish phrases end on matras that line up with sam or khali. Your job as a lyricist is to make sure the phrase meaning and the rhythmic landing match. If the line resolves on a weak beat the listener will have to mentally catch the sentence. That is fine if it is deliberate. It fails if it is accidental.

Choosing a Raga and Taal Before You Write

Do not start with a cute couplet and then try to cram it into Bageshree while the tabla is playing Teentaal. Choose your musical frame first. Your lyric style will change depending on whether you are writing for a morning raga, a romantic thumri, or a devotional bhajan.

• Raga choice. Match mood to message. If you want devotional longing pick Bhairav or Todi. For playful romantic lines pick Kafi or Pilu. For serene love try Yaman.
• Taal choice. Match the lyric phrase length to the taal cycle. Dadra and Keharwa welcome shorter conversational lines. Teentaal needs longer phrases with clear sam landings.
• Form matters. For khayal the bandish will be the seed. For thumri you can use more colloquial language and flexible phrasing. For ghazal style pieces keep couplet integrity and use radif and qaafiyaa if you choose that style.

Real life scenario. You want to write a romantic bandish that will make your college crush near the chai stall look up from their phone. Choose a raga with warm major tones like Khamaj or Yaman. Choose dadra if you want a heartbeat like 6 beats so the singer can flirt with phrasing. Now write the hook knowing the sam will come every 6 beats and vendors will hum the chorus if it lands clean.

Language and Poetic Choices

Indian classical lyrics live in multiple languages. Hindi, Braj, Awadhi, Urdu, Sanskrit and regional languages are all valid. Choose one and stay true to its idiom. A line in high Sanskrit followed by a Bhojpuri couplet will feel like a shoe gone missing.

Use imagery and cultural specifics. Mention a courtyard, a temple bell, a mustard field, the smell of jasmine at night. These concrete details create visual anchors for listeners who have never studied music theory. Also keep the language singable. Long compounded words with awkward consonant clusters are hard to sustain over long notes.

Real definitions and usage

• Braj Bhasha. A dialect historically used for devotional and romantic poetry. Think of Meer and Surdas. It carries intimacy and earthiness.
• Urdu. Rich in ghazal tradition. It offers high lyric density and image economy. Use it for shayari type bandishes where couplets are tiny bombs of meaning.
• Sanskrit. Excellent for stuti and spiritual bandishes. Its grammar supports compact devotional lines but may sound formal if used in a casual thumri.

Relatable scenario. You are writing a thumri for an intimate cafe performance. Use Awadhi or Braj. Keep the lines conversational enough to be understood after two listens. You are not writing a doctoral thesis. You are writing a line someone will hum on the metro.

Prosody for Indian Classical Music

Prosody is how words sit in rhythm and melody. In Western pop you align stress with beats. In Indian classical music you must align akshar counts and vowel length with matra counts and note duration. Here is a simple working method.

1. Count the matras in your melodic phrase. If the melodic cell spans 8 matras write down 8 as your container.
2. Count syllables and mark long vowels. In many Indian languages long vowels sing longer than short vowels. Make those long vowels land on sustained notes where possible.
3. Ensure words that carry the emotional weight fall on strong matras or on sam. If your key verb falls on a weak matra you will lose impact.
4. Use natural speech rhythm. Sing the line at conversation speed and map stresses to matras. If the natural stress pattern collides with the raga phrase rewrite either the phrase or the words.

Example. You have a phrase that lasts for four matras and the melody sustains on the second matra. Place the long vowel of your key word on that sustained note. If you put a short consonant cluster there the singer will trip and the tabla will judge you silently.

How Ornamentation Affects Lyric Choices

Indian classical singing uses gamak, meend, andolan, kan, murki and more. These ornaments require time. A murki will eat one or two syllables worth of breath. A meend slides between notes and benefits from open vowels. When you write lyrics assume the singer will ornament. Avoid packing too many consonants into a note that will be elongated. Use vowels like aa, o, and e when a long note is expected. Save closed syllables for quick passages.

Practical tip. If your chorus has the word pyaar on a long note sing it out as pyaaaaar so the singer can do an andolan or gamak around the vowel. If you write pyaarn with a final nasal cluster the ornament will sound like a paper bag being squeezed.

Writing Workflows That Actually Work

Here is a method proven in real rehearsal rooms and a few cringe filled open mic nights.

1. Pick your raga and taal. Commit. If you change the raga halfway the words will not catch up.
2. Sketch the melody with sargam. Sing sa re ga on the melodic shape and decide where phrases end on matras.
3. Count matras and make a prosody map. Write the number of matras under each phrase and mark long notes.
4. Draft the sthayi text. Keep it short. Place your hook word on strong matras. Use open vowels where the melody sustains.
5. Draft the antara text. Let it answer the sthayi or reveal context. Use slightly longer lines if the melody climbs.
6. Test with a tanpura loop. Sing and listen. Adjust for consonant clusters and awkward landings.
7. Work with a tabla player. They will tell you where sam is earnestly and where your syllable needs to be shorter.

Real world example. You write a line for Teentaal which has 16 matras. You decide your sthayi phrase will be 8 matras long and end on sam. You place your emotional verb on the last matra of that phrase and elongate it into a resolution on sam. The tabla will slap the sam like an exclamation mark and your line will land like closing a drawer with purpose.

Examples Before and After

Theme. Quiet love that waits while the city sleeps.

Before: I love you deeply and I will wait for you.

After (sthayi, simple bandish style in Hindi): raat ke kinaron par tera intezar / saans mein tera naam saja kar

Translation and notes: The line uses raat meaning night as a concrete image. Intezaar means wait but placed on a syllable that can be elongated. Saans mein tera naam gives a tactile image of breath which is easy to ornament.

Before: Your memory is always with me even when you are gone.

After (antara): teri yaad ki khushboo hawaa mein reh jaati / khidki ke paani se chand bhi basanti

Translation and notes: Using smell and visual image anchors the feeling. The phrase khushboo has a long oo vowel which supports a sustained note. The line ends in a matra that meets a cadential sam.

Writing for Different Classical and Semi Classical Forms

Not all Indian classical formats carry the same lyric constraints. Know the differences before you commit to a language and phrase pattern.

Khayal

Khayal is improvisation heavy. Bandish is often composed in more formal language. Lyrics must be compact and allow for long improvisatory passages. Keep a tight sthayi hook. Expect the vocalist to spend minutes exploring the raga between lines.

Thumri

Thumri is lyrical and romantic and allows more colloquial language and storytelling. You can use playful words, local idioms, and conversational forms. The taal can be dadra or keharwa which opens up rhythmic freedom. The lyric can be conversational like a lover whispering to the beloved.

Bhajan

Devotional music. Lyrics can be repetitive and mantra like. Use short phrases that can be sung by groups. Sanskrit or simple Hindi works well. Ensure your main devotional word repeats and lands on sam often so listeners can join in easily.

Ghazal and Shayari

Although ghazal is a poetic form rather than a raga, many ghazal singers set couplets to classical accompaniment. Ghazal demands couplet integrity. Each sher is a standalone thought with a matla and maqta structure. If you choose ghazal style you must pay attention to qaafiyaa which is the rhyming pattern and radif which is the repeating phrase.

Exercises to Build Skill Fast

Do these drills on your phone between classes or between listening to your ex tag your photos.

Sargam to Bol drill

1. Pick a raga you know for about five minutes.
2. Sing a two bar melody on sargam and record it.
3. Listen and count matras. Write a simple line that fits and uses one long vowel where the melody sustains.
4. Sing the line and adjust until the words feel natural.

Sam practice

1. Use a tabla loop for a taal you like. Try to land a one line phrase on sam every time.
2. Start with a two matra phrase and expand to eight matras.
3. If you cannot hit sam do shorter phrases until you can. The sam is a muscle. Train it.

Ornamentation mapping

1. Take a long note in a phrase and practice three ornaments on it murki, meend and andolan.
2. Write three alternate words where the vowel supports each ornament.
3. Choose the best sounding word and lock it into the bandish text.

Recording and Performance Tips

When you go to record a bandish or perform live the lyric choices you made will interact with acoustics, pitch and accompaniment.

• Mic technique. Long vowels benefit from a closer mic. Short percussive words need a little distance to avoid clipping. Practice singing the same line with small mic distance changes and choose what preserves the vowel shimmer you want.
• Tonal tuning. Raga uses microtones. When you record with Western tuned instruments ensure they are adjusted or your vocalist uses natural intonation. Do not force a raga into equal temperament and expect the lyrics to sound genuine.
• Working with tabla. Always do a few playback takes with the tabla player to test sam alignment. Tabla players can also suggest natural places for tihai and layakari which will affect where you place short words versus long ones.
• Live performance. If your lyrics are Sanskrit heavy provide an English or Hindi couple of lines before you sing. This gives the audience a narrative anchor while you do long alaaps which might feel opaque at first listen.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

• Packing too many syllables into a long note. Fix by replacing consonant clusters with open vowels or splitting the idea across two matras.
• Forcing modern slang in serious forms. Fix by matching register to form. Thumri welcomes colloquial words. Dhrupad and formal khayal do not.
• Ignoring sam. Fix by training with tabla loops and practicing landing the ending word on sam.
• Choosing the wrong raga mood. Fix by asking if your lyric feels morning bright or night longing and pick a raga that supports that mood.
• Writing words that cannot be ornamented. Fix by testing every long vowel with a murki or meend before committing.

Legal and Cultural Respect

Indian classical music carries centuries of lineage. If you are borrowing lines from bhakti poets or from classical sources credit the poet and the tradition. Avoid casual appropriation. If you are using an old bandish text consider asking a guru or scholar about provenance. This protects you from cultural and legal problems and shows respect to the community you are joining.

Quick Templates You Can Steal

Use these as starters. Each template shows a prosody map and a lyric seed.

Template A for Dadra 6 matras playful thumri

Prosody map 3 plus 3 matras. Long vowel on matra 3 and matra 6.

Seed lyric: aankhon mein tera noor aa gaya / raat bhi muskura gayi

Notes: Repeat the hook on matra 6 so the audience can join in during the next cycle.

Template B for Teentaal 16 matras meditative khayal

Prosody map 8 plus 8. Sthayi hook on matra 8 landing on sam.

Seed lyric: man ke diyare mein tera naam basa / saans bhare toh tera zikr

Notes: Place the title word on a sustained vowel that ends on sam so the tabla punctuates it.

Template C for Bhajan repeatable chorus

Prosody map repeatable 4 matra phrases. Keep vocabulary devotional and simple.

Seed lyric: o mere ram o mere ram / dil mera tera dam

Notes: Use repetition and a simple radif so a crowd can sing along after one listen.

Action Plan You Can Use Today

1. Pick one raga and one taal to work with for the week. Commit to practicing in that frame.
2. Sketch a two line sthayi melody on sargam and count matras for each phrase.
3. Write a one line hook that places your emotional verb on a long vowel aligned to the sustained note.
4. Sing the line with a tanpura or drone and adjust consonant clusters until the ornamentation feels natural.
5. Work with a tabla loop and aim to land the last syllable of your hook on sam for three consecutive cycles.
6. Record a demo on your phone. Listen back and note two changes. Make the edits and perform the line for a friend who knows sam and ask them if it landed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the simplest way to make my lyrics fit a raga

Start with sargam to map melodic movement and count matras for each phrase. Place long vowels on sustained notes. Keep consonant clusters away from elongated syllables. Use concrete images so ornamentation supports meaning. Test with a tanpura and a tabla loop. If it feels comfortable to sing and the sam lands where the line resolves you are done.

Can I use slang in classical lyrics

Yes but choose the form carefully. Thumri and semi classical forms welcome colloquial language. Formal khayal and dhrupad prefer classical vocabulary and poetic diction. Think about the audience and the performance context before adding slang.

How do I place the sam correctly in my lyrics

Practice with a tabla loop and count matras out loud. Write the line and mark the matra where the final syllable lands. If you miss sam adjust the length of earlier syllables or move a word so the key verb falls on a strong matra. Regular practice will make sam placement feel intuitive.

What language should I write in

Write in the language that best carries your emotion and imagery. If you want devotional gravity choose Sanskrit or Braj. If you want romantic immediacy choose Braj, Hindi or Urdu. If you want local color use regional languages. Stay consistent in register and avoid mixing very different registers in a single bandish.

How do I make my lyrics singable for ornamentation

Use open vowels for long notes. Avoid heavy consonant clusters on notes that will be elongated. Leave space for murki and meend by not placing multiple syllables on one long pitch. Test every long vowel with at least three ornaments and pick the most comfortable word for the singer.

Can a bandish be in English

Yes. There are modern experiments with English bandishes. The challenge is fitting English prosody to raga matra counts and creating vowels that support ornamentation. If you write in English prefer simple words with open vowels and test with a drone to ensure idiomatic ornamenting is possible.

What is layakari and how does it affect lyrics

Layakari is rhythmic play that subdivides or offsets the beat. If your vocalist plans to use layakari keep your lyric flexible. Use short consonant syllables where the vocalist will do rapid subdivisions and reserve long vowels for the moments the layakari resolves on sam.

Do lyrics have to rhyme

No. Many classical bandishes do not depend on rhyme. Rhyme helps memory and is important in ghazal tradition. For bandish rhyme is optional. Focus first on prosody and melodic fit. Add rhyme only if it does not force awkward consonant clusters or poor sam placement.